Related Articles

Flowering crabapple trees, genus Malus, are favorites for landscaping because of their intriguing natural shapes, flower color and bloom time. During the spring, most species and cultivars explode into bloom and the trees are covered in pink, white or red flowers. As they are spring bloomers, prune crabapples directly after flowering to reduce the risk of cutting off the developing buds. Pruning at the wrong time can result in no blooms the following year due to bud removal.

1

View your crabapple from a distance and visually mark any branches you don't want based on shape, size or height. Stepping back allows you to more easily see the tree in its entirety, thus allowing you to make better decisions on which branches to shorten or remove.

2

Mark branches you want to remove using ribbon or rope. Don't tie the ribbon or rope too tightly as you may damage the bark.

3

Cut any branches that are growing the wrong way or are unsightly to the shape of the tree back to the branch collar on the main trunk or to a connecting branch using loppers or a pruning saw. Do this directly after flowering. The branch collar is a raised area that encircles the branch and connects the branch to the main trunk.

4

Remove any branches that are dead, dying or broken any time of the year; again, remove the branch to the branch collar on the main trunk or to a connecting branch or twig.

5

Cut 6 to 12 inches past any sign of fireblight, a serious bacterial disease, on any branch, again to a connecting branch or the branch collar.

About the Author

With a professional background in gardening, landscapes, pests and natural ecosystems, Jasey Kelly has been sharing her knowledge through writing since 2009 and has served as an expert writer in these fields. Kelly's background also includes childcare, and animal rescue and care.